Turning device

ABSTRACT

A turning device uses a turning bar for diverting a material web. The turning bar includes a sleeve with a plurality of holes and an inner chamber that is supplied with compressed air, as well as a closing body. The turning bar is supported by a frame and is able to pivot through 90°. The closing body is movable within the inner chamber in response to this pivoting movement of the turning bar. Movement of the closing body closes one of two groups of the holes, depending on the position of the turning bar. The turning bar is connected to the frame at only one end and is supplied with compressed air through a joint connecting the turning bar to the frame.

[0001] The invention relates to a turning device in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 or 2.

[0002] In order to be able to process webs of material which are fed in from two diametrically opposed directions in a single downstream located machine, or to be able to feed paper webs coming from the same direction to two different machines for further processing, turning bar arrangements have been developed, wherein the turning bars are movable between two work positions, each of which causes a rerouting of the web of material by 90° into opposite directions.

[0003] Such a turning bar arrangement is known from DE 43 11 438 C2. It comprises a plurality of turning bars, both longitudinal ends of each of which are hingedly connected with support spindles of a rack and can be displaced along these support spindles. The turning bars can assume two work positions in which they each extend at an angle of 45° in relation to the support spindles. The turning bars can each be transferred from one of their work positions into the other by means of a pivot movement of 90° in the plane defined by the axes of the support spindles and of the turning bars. This transfer takes place via an intermediate position, in which each of the turning bars extends perpendicularly in respect to the support spindles. To make such a transfer possible, it is necessary for each of the support spindles to be movable, coupled to the movement of the turning bars, perpendicularly in respect to each other.

[0004] Turning bar arrangements are also known, wherein the turning bars can be switched from one work position into the other on an axis which is parallel to the plane defined by the axes of the support spindles and of the turning bars. However, such a turning bar arrangement requires sufficient space above or underneath of this plane for performing the transfer movement.

[0005] DE 29 20 684 A1 discloses a linear actuating member for pivoting a turning bar.

[0006] DE 31 27 872 C2 describes a turning bar, whose first end is seated changeably in a rack, and whose second end is displaceably seated in a guide. Compressed air is supplied through a link, and the guide devices can be displaced by means of linear drive mechanisms and can be secured by means of clamping devices.

[0007] The object of the invention is based on creating a turning device with a turning bar which can be simply and dependably pivoted.

[0008] In accordance with the invention this object is attained by means of the characteristics of claim 1 or 2.

[0009] An advantage which can be achieved by means of the invention lies in particular in that the mechanical structure of the turning device is simplified, since a hinged connection of the second longitudinal end of the turning bar with the rack is omitted. Therefore neither a second support spindle, nor means for controlling its movements, are necessary. The passage of the compressed air feed line through the link connecting the turning bar with the rack permits a particularly compact construction especially in the vertical direction; moreover, it is possible to do without a flexible pipe line, which is in danger of wear or damage, for conducting the compressed air to the turning bar.

[0010] When the turning bar is employed for rerouting webs of material of changing width, it is desirable to be able to limit the size of the surface area of the jacket of the turning bar, from which blown air exits for forming an air cushion underneath the web of material to be rerouted, to the width of the web of material. For this purpose at least one piston, which axially limits the compressed air-supplied interior, is axially displaceable inside the turning bar.

[0011] Since the free end of the turning bar is not needed for connecting the compressed air feed line, an actuating element for adjusting the position of the at least one piston can be advantageously conducted out of the turning bar at this free end. This actuating element can have, for example, the shape of a knurled wheel or a crank for turning a threaded bar extending through the turning bar in the longitudinal direction and whose screw thread meshes with a threaded bore in the piston.

[0012] The closing body used for the selective closing of each of a group of holes in the jacket of the turning bar is preferably embodied as a hollow cylinder, wherein the at least one piston can be displaced within the hollow cylinder. This arrangement makes it possible to move the closing body and the at least one piston independently of each other.

[0013] If the at least one piston is arranged at the longitudinal end of the turning bar connected with the link, it is necessary to conduct the compressed air which is fed into the interior of the turning bar through this piston. For this purpose a section of the compressed air feed line in the interior of the turning bar is embodied as a tube section which traverses the piston.

[0014] The rack has two stops for fixing the end position of the pivot movement freedom, which are preferably adjustable.

[0015] Furthermore, at least one fixation device for fixing the turning bar in respective end positions of the pivot movement freedom is usefully provided. This fixation device suitable comprises a bolt connected with the rack for engaging a projection of the turning bar. In accordance with a simple embodiment, the bolt is pivotable around an axis extending vertically in respect to the longitudinal axis of the turning bar.

[0016] The closing body provided for the selective closing of a respective group of holes in the jacket is preferably rotatable between its two positions around the longitudinal axis of the turning bar. In comparison with the axial displaceability of the closing body known from DE 43 11 438 C2, this characteristic permits an increased stroke of the movement of the closing body, so that the demands made on the positional accuracy of the holes in the jacket and in the closing body can be relatively low.

[0017] To make possible a rapid switching of the turning device between the two work positions of the turning bar, it is possible to provide a linear actuating member, in particular a pneumatic cylinder, for driving the pivoting movement.

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.

[0019] Shown are in:

[0020]FIG. 1, a view from above, partially in section, on the base area of the turning bar, which is hingedly connected with the rack,

[0021]FIG. 2, a section along the line A-A in FIG. 1,

[0022]FIG. 3, a view from above on the free end area of the turning bar,

[0023]FIG. 4, a section along the line B-B in FIG. 1,

[0024]FIG. 5, a view from above on a turning bar in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention,

[0025]FIG. 6, a view from above on a fixation device in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention.

[0026] In a view from above, partially in section, FIG. 1 shows a portion of the rack of the turning arrangement, as well as an end area of the turning bar 01 mounted thereon, which is here to be called the base area. The rack comprises two support spindles 21, which are seated fixedly and parallel in a frame, not represented, and a threaded spindle 22 rotatably seated between them. A sliding body 23, for example a sliding pad 23, is supported by the support spindles 21 and can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the latter with the aid of a divided nut 24, which is in engagement with the threaded spindle 22, by turning the threaded spindle 22 in its longitudinal direction.

[0027] A longitudinal end of a turning bar 01 is connected via a link 26 with the sliding pad 23 so it is pivotable around a vertical axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1, with a freedom of movement of 90° between two work positions. FIG. 1 shows the turning bar 01 in a “right” work position, the second, “left” work position is indicated by a dash-dotted contour. As can be seen in particular in the section along the line B-B in FIG. 4, the link 26 comprises a flat cylindrical body 27, which is fixedly connected with the longitudinal end of the turning bar 01 and is extended along the pivot axis in both directions by cylindrical extensions 28 of a narrower diameter than that of the body 27. These extensions 28 are rotatably maintained in a bore of the sliding pad 23.

[0028] A bore 29 extends in the plane of FIG. 1 centered through the flat cylindrical body 27. It connects a chamber 31 formed in the sliding pad 23 with a tube section 06 extending along the longitudinal axis of the turning bar 01 approximately as far as its center.

[0029] The sliding pad 23 is furthermore provided with a connector 32 for its connection with a compressed air line, so that the interior of the turning bar 01 can be charged with compressed air via the connector 32, the chamber 31, the bore 29 and the tube section 06.

[0030] The turning bar 01 has a cylindrical jacket 02, which is provided with evenly distributed holes 08 over its entire circumference and, except for short pieces at the longitudinal ends, over its entire axial length. A closing body 03 in the shape of a hollow cylinder 03 rests against the interior wall of the jacket 02 and is rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the turning bar 01. As can be seen particularly in the section along the line A-A in FIG. 1 represented in FIG. 2, the closing body 03 is provided with holes 04 over half its circumference, the other half of the circumference is closed. The holes 04 of the closing body 03 are aligned with a first group of the holes 08 in the jacket 02, which is located on a side of the jacket 02 facing away from the support spindles 21 (in FIG. 2 the half oriented down and to the left). When the turning bar 01 is charged with compressed air, it exits from this first group of holes 08 and in this way forms an air cushion, on which a web of material which is to be rerouted and is looped around one half of the circumference of the turning bar 01 can be guided practically without friction. The remaining holes 08 of the jacket 02 located on the circumference of the latter, around which the web of material does not loop (the half oriented up and to the right in FIG. 2) are cut off from the compressed air supply by the closing body 03.

[0031] In the course of displacing the turning bar 01 from one work position into the other, the closing body 03 preferably performs a rotation around 180°, so that the group of holes 04, 08, which are open in the one work position of the turning bar 01, in the other work position are located opposite the closed half of the circumference of the closing body 03, while the holes 08 of the other group are aligned with the holes 04 of the closing body 03. Such a coupling of the rotation of the closing body 03 to the displacement of the turning bar 01 can take place, for example, with the aid of a (not represented) stationary gear ring on the link 26, which meshes with an exterior teeth arrangement of the closing body 03.

[0032] A first threaded spindle 07 extends from the free end of the turning bar 01 represented in FIG. 3 in the interior of the latter into the immediate vicinity of the end represented in FIG. 1, which is connected with the link 26. The first threaded spindle 07 is arranged off to the side of the longitudinal axis and extends outside the tube section 06 and parallel with the latter. Its screw thread is in engagement with and interior screw thread of a first piston 09, which can be displaced in this way by rotating the first threaded spindle 07 in the axial direction of the turning bar 01. For rotating the threaded spindle 07, an actuating element 10, for example a nut 10, is attached, fixed against relative rotation and rotatable by means of a wrench placed on it, for example, to the free end of the spindle projecting from the free end of the turning bar 01. The lateral faces of the first piston 09 rest tightly against the interior face of the hollow-cylindrical closing body 03.

[0033] A corresponding second piston 11, which is axially displaceable with the aid of a second threaded spindle 12 also supporting a nut 10, is arranged at the free end of the turning bar 01, as represented in FIG. 3. Each of the two pistons 09, 11 constitutes a limit in the axial direction for the interior 13 of the turning bar 01 to be charged with compressed air via the tube section 06.

[0034] The borders of the pistons 09, 11 facing the interior 13 each follow the course of an edge 14 of a web of material looped around the turning bar 01, i.e. they essentially follow the course of two helically-shaped sections of opposite handedness, each extending around half the piston circumference.

[0035] The sliding pad 23 has two arms 16, which extend at an angle of 90° from each other and on the end of each one a stop 17 has been mounted, which has a concave side 18 facing the turning bar 01, as represented in FIG. 2. The two stops 17 limit the pivoting freedom of the turning bar 01 in the link 26 to exactly 900. For a fine adjustment of the setting positions, or of the pivoting freedom, it is possible to provide an adjusting mechanism for changing the position of the stop 17 parallel in relation to the direction of the line A-A.

[0036] The turning bar 01 has protrusions 33 on two opposite ends, each of which has an inclined face 34 facing the jacket 02 of the turning bar 01. A shaft 36, which is rotatably seated in each arm 16, has a square extension 37 at an end facing away from the turning bar 01, on which an appropriate wrench for pivoting the shaft 36 can be placed. On its opposite end facing the turning bar 01, the shaft 36 supports a bolt 38, which is represented on the left arm 16 of the sliding pad 23 and the right arm 16 in positions pivoted by 90° in respect to each other. The bolt 38 of the right arm 16 extends behind the inclined face 34 of the protrusion 33 and in this way keeps the turning bar 01 pressed against the right stop 17. The bolt 38 itself has an inclined face which, in the locked position, is pushed against the inclined face 34 of the protrusion 33. It is achieved by means of the inclined course of these inclined faces 34 that, by pivoting the bolt 38 out of the vertical position represented at the left arm 16 of the bolt 38 into the horizontal position, and the turning bar 01 being fixed in place against the stop 17, the bolt 38 can already be engaged behind the protrusion 33 before the turning bar 01 rests directly against the stop 17, and that the locking is free of play.

[0037]FIG. 5 shows the view from above on a turning device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. The turning bar 01, here represented in its entirety, the sliding pad 23, as well as the support spindle 21 and the threaded spindle 22, are the same as those described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4. The sliding pad 23 also has respectively left and right stops 17 for limiting the pivoting freedom of the turning bar 01. The housing of a linear actuator 41, for example a reciprocally operating pneumatic cylinder 41, is suspended from a second arm 39. The suspension acts on that end of the cylinder 41 at which a piston rod 42 also exits from the housing. The piston rod 42 in turn is hingedly connected with the turning bar 01. The turning bar 01 can be changed between its work position against one of the two stops 17 by retracting and extending the piston rod 42, and it can be immovably maintained in one of these work position by arresting the piston rod.

[0038] This embodiment permits a remote-controlled switching of the turning bar 01 between its two work positions without a direct access of an operator to the turning bar being necessary.

[0039]FIG. 6 shows a portion of a turning device in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention. Again, the turning bar 01, its protrusions 33, the link 26 and the sliding pad 23 are the same as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4. Only an arm 16 is represented in FIG. 6, a second arm arranged symmetrically to it is provided. In addition to the stop 17, the arm 16 supports a linear actuator 43, which can be electromagnetically operated or, as in the case in connection with FIG. 5, it can be a pneumatic cylinder 41. The linear actuator 43 supports a bolt 38, which is displaceable parallel with the longitudinal axis of the turning bar 01. The bolt 38 has two inclined faces 44, 46, of which the one inclined face 44 is oriented parallel with the inclined face 34 of the protrusion 33, and the other inclined face 46 extends almost vertically in respect to the movement direction of the bolt 38. Thus, when the turning bar 01 is moved into the contact position represented in FIG. 6, the protrusion 33 initially encounters the inclined face 44 and slides along it, in the course of which the bolt 38 is urged backward against a force exerted by the linear actuator 43. Once the protrusion 33 is past the inclined face 44, the bolt 38 springs forward again and the inclined faces 34, 46 come into contact with each other, so that the turning bar 01 is arrested in the contact position represented. For pivoting the turning bar 01 into the respectively other position, the linear actuator 43 is triggered in such a way that it retracts the bolt 38 and releases the turning bar 01.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0040]01 Turning bar

[0041]02 Jacket

[0042]03 Closing body, hollow cylinder

[0043]04 Hole

[0044]05 -

[0045]06 Tube section

[0046]07 Threaded spindle, first

[0047]08 Hole

[0048]09 Piston, first

[0049]10 Actuating element, nut

[0050]11 Piston, second

[0051]12 Threaded spindle, second

[0052]13 Interior

[0053]14 Edge

[0054]15 -

[0055]16 Arm

[0056]17 Stop

[0057]18 Side, concave

[0058]19 -

[0059]20 -

[0060]21 Support spindle

[0061]22 Threaded spindle, third

[0062]23 Sliding body, sliding pad

[0063]24 Nut, divided

[0064]25 -

[0065]26 Link

[0066]27 Body, flat cylindrical

[0067]28 Extension

[0068]29 Bore

[0069]30 -

[0070]31 Chamber

[0071]32 Connector

[0072]33 Protrusion

[0073]34 Inclined face

[0074]35 -

[0075]36 Shaft

[0076]37 Square extension

[0077]38 Bolt

[0078]39 Arm

[0079]40 -

[0080]41 Actuator, linear actuator, pneumatic cylinder

[0081]42 Piston rod

[0082]43 Linear actuator

[0083]44 Inclined face

[0084]45 -

[0085]46 Inclined face 

1. A turning device, having a turning bar (01) for rerouting a web of material, and a rack, which pivotably supports the turning bar (01), wherein the turning bar (01) has a free longitudinal end unconnected with the rack, characterized in that an actuator (41) is connected for pivoting the turning bar (01) with the rack and the other longitudinal end of the turning bar (01) which is hingedly seated in the rack, and that the actuator (41) is arranged to pivot the turning bar (01) ove 90° into two work positions.
 2. A turning device, having a turning bar (01) for rerouting a web of material, and a rack, which pivotably supports the turning bar (01), wherein the turning bar (01) has a free longitudinal end unconnected with the rack, wherein at least one fixation device (33, 34, 36, 38; 33, 34, 38, 43) for fixing the turning bar (01) in respective end positions between the rack and the other longitudinally end, which is hingedly seated in respect to the rack, characterized in that a linear actuator (41), in particular a pneumatic cylinder (41), for pivoting the turning bar (01) is connected with the rack and the turning bar (01).
 3. A turning device, having a turning bar (01) for rerouting a web of material, and a rack, which pivotably supports the turning bar (01), wherein the turning bar (01) has a free longitudinal end unconnected with the rack, wherein at least one fixation device (33, 34, 36, 38; 33, 34, 38, 43) for fixing the turning bar (01) in respective end positions between the rack and the other longitudinally end, which is hingedly seated in respect to the rack characterized in that the turning bar has a jacket (02), which is provided with holes (08), an interior (13) charged with compressed air, and a closing body (03), and that the closing body (03) can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the turning bar (01) between two positions.
 4. The turning device in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the turning bar has a jacket (02), which is provided with holes (08), an interior (13) charged with compressed air, and a closing body (03).
 5. The turning device in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the closing body (03) can be moved between two positions inside the interior (13), in each of which it keeps a group of the holes (08) closed.
 6. The turning device in accordance with claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a compressed air feed line (32, 31, 29, 06) is passed through a link (26) which connects the turning bar (01) with the rack.
 7. The turning device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the compressed air feed line (32, 31, 29, 06) is arranged concentrically in respect to the pivot axis of the turning bar (01).
 8. The turning device in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one piston (09, 11), which axially delimits the interior (13) charged with compressed air, is axially displaceable in the turning bar (01).
 9. The turning device in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that an actuating element (10) for adjusting the position of the at least one piston (09, 11) protrudes out of the unconnected end of the turning bar (01).
 10. The turning device in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the closing body (03) is a hollow cylinder (03), and that the at least one piston (09, 11) is arranged inside the hollow cylinder (03).
 11. The turning device in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the at least one piston (09) is assigned to the longitudinal end of the turning bar (01) connected with the link (26), and that a tube section (06) of the compressed air feed line (32, 31, 29, 06) traverses the piston (09).
 12. The turning device in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rack has two stops (17) for fixing the end positions of the pivoting freedom of the turning bar (01) is place.
 13. The turning device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one fixation device (33, 34, 36, 38; 33, 34, 38, 43) for fixing the turning bar (01) in respective end positions of the pivoting freedom.
 14. The turning device in accordance with claim 2, 3 or 12, characterized in that each fixation device (33, 34, 36, 38; 33, 34, 38, 43) comprises a bolt (38) connected with the rack for engagement at a protrusion (33) of the turning bar (01).
 15. The turning device in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that the bolt (38) of the clamping device (33, 34, 36, 38) can be pivoted around an axis extending vertically in respect to the longitudinal axis of the turning bar (01).
 16. The turning device in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the closing body (03) can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the turning bar (01) between two positions.
 17. The turning device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a linear actuator (41), in particular a pneumatic cylinder (41), for pivoting the turning bar (01) is connected with the rack and the turning bar (01). 